Preview: Stax SR-404LE, Headamp KGSS

Good things come to those who wait. The SR-404 Limited Edition headphones seem to be the second most desirable Stax model after the flagship Omega 2. Since the Omega 2 sells for over $2,000, while the SR-404LE sells for roughly $700, everyone seems to want to get a piece of the LE action. Not to mention that only 1,000 pieces are made (they are a “Limited Edition”, after all), most of which have been sold out worldwide, with only a few pieces remaining in a handful of dealers. So, I’ve been wanting to hear how this Lambda sound for a long time. And now a good friend of mine lent his entire rig for us to do a review on. At the moment I’m still trying to source a SR-404 Signature so we can make a comparison between the two.

Anyway, some teaser shots for now..

The Stax SR-404LE. Current king of the Lambda design. The red ring behind the grill looks real awesome.

The Headamp KGSS sells for $2,295. A staggering piece of an amp. Thanks to the Blue Hawaii SE, the KGSS is “only” a second tier amp now. It comes with individual volume control for the left and right channel. With a stepped attenuator control, channel imbalances found in the headphones are easily fixed.

Hopefully we’ll be able to get a hold of a SR404 Signature, as well as a Koss ESP950 for a comparison with the SR-404LE.